This Week in EMS: A Recap for May 3 - 9, 2008
The catastrophic cyclone to hit Myanmar last Friday continued to hold the world's attention this week.
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The catastrophic cyclone to hit Myanmar last Friday continued to hold the world's attention this week as the isolationist country refused most aid and the death toll was feared to reach 100,000.
Several U.N. aid flights were allowed to land late this week, but staff have not been allowed to distribute the aid. Relief supplies and personnel from around the world were on standby as negotiations continued.
To learn more visit Relief Efforts Hampered for Myanmar Cyclone Survivors .
We know that in a pandemic or major disaster there will not be enough medical personnel or supplies to treat all victims. However, until now the guidelines were fairly vague on how to make the god-like decisions of who to treat and who to let die.
This week an influential group of physicians released a grimly specific list of recommendations designed as a "blueprint" for medical personnel, so that resources will be used in a uniform, objective way. The list, however, is already stirring an ethical and legal controversy.
Read about the guidelines at Report Lists Who to Let Die in a Disaster .
New York City officials plan to dispatch the nation's first ambulance equipped to preserve dead bodies so that they can be used for organ donation if the family later consents. However, the fact that the preparation would be performed without permission has raised some concern.
The proposal for the Rapid Organ Recovery Ambulance followed complaints from families who were told their loved ones, who had wanted to donate, could not because they died outside a hospital. The program, which has federal funding, is set to launch within months if it goes through, and will be watched closely around the country.
Read more at New York City Ambulance to Prep Possible Organ Donors .
Industry News:
Honorees Announced for 2008 EMS Memorial Service
This year's service to honor EMS personnel killed in the line of duty will remember 73 heroes -- the largest ever. Services are set for 6 p.m. Saturday, May 24 at the First Baptist Church in Roanoke, Va.
"In addition to those who died in 2007, we are honoring people who died in incidents in previous years," said Kevin Dillard, president of the National EMS Memorial Service. NEMSMS previously waited for notifications of EMS line of duty deaths from the agencies of fallen responders. However, this year NEMSMS staff went back and researched these deaths to find those that were not reported.
EMS Magazine Online Exclusive
EMS Technology - On the Edge of Tomorrow
"With the certainty of gravity, the use of broadband wireless communication, high-speed data transmission and video imaging are currently available technologies that should be strongly considered by the Emergency Medical Service agencies of today for the applications of tomorrow," write Michael Smith & David Ridings.
Read the full article and find a package of related features including video, articles, a discussion and a poll.
New on EMSResponder.com
We need your input for this year's EMS Salary Survey. It's quick , so please stop by to respond, and look for the results in a forthcoming issue of EMS Magazine.
Course: Bariatric Lifting and Moving
This online course material is provided by Christopher B. Haber in conjunction with his April and May articles, "Bariatric Transport Challenges: Parts 1 and 2." The online materials include a Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation and a handout packet, all available for use at your agency.
Featured Column:
Leadership & New Venture Success
If you're interested in launching new EMS programs, don't miss this column in which author Paul Murphy outlines the leadership traits that make a new venture successful.
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